Best Vegan Gluten-free Cornbread (Oil-free)

Best Vegan Gluten-free Cornbread (Oil-free)

PREP TIME	20 mins
COOK TIME	15 mins
TOTAL TIME	35 mins
COURSE	Sides
CUISINE	American, Gluten-free, Vegan
YIELDS	8 – 10 slices

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 cups (300g) canned lite coconut milk (shaken well first ) I recommend the Thai Kitchen or Sprouts brands
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon (20g) apple cide vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups (234g) medium grind coarse cornmeal (NOT finely ground or it’ll be DRY! ( I use this one by Bob’s Red Mill Coarse Cornmeal)
• 3/4 cup (84g) raw pecan halves
• 1/4 cup (32g) oat flour
• 1/4 cup (32g) tapioca starch
• 1 tablespoon double acting baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (30g) pure maple syrup

 

NOTE

• Always use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed. You never need cups, just the scale and bowl.
• I use this scale.

 

NOTE

• Please note that this is NOT a sweet cornbread. As seen, there is only a tiny amount of sweetener. This is because I don’t like sweet cornbread since I like to pair it with savory recipes like chilis and soups. It is only very mildly sweet. So, if you’d like yours a bit sweeter, add 2-3 tablespoons of dry sweetener (not more syrup) to the dry ingredients.

 

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. First, add your coconut milk to a medium bowl and warm to lukewarm. Add the cornmeal and apple cider vinegar and stir until well mixed. Set aside to soak for 10 minutes. This step is crucial, so don’t skip it. It helps to soften the grittiness of the cornmeal and make the cornbread more moist and flavorful.
2. Meanwhile, you will need to add your pecans to a food processor and grind into a ground coarse meal. This will only take a few seconds, because if you go too long, it will very quickly turn to paste. Just go until it is ground and crumbly and no big pieces left. Add to a large bowl and set aside.
3. Next, preheat an oven to 400 degrees and place a well-seasoned 10 inchiron skillet on the center oven rack to heat up. If you are unsure if your pan is well-seasoned, then make sure to spray it well with nonstick spray to ensure your cornbread doesn’t stick.
4. To the large bowl of pecan flour, add the oat flour, tapioca starch, baking powder and salt. Whisk until well incorporated.
5. To the wet cornmeal mixture, after the 10 minute soak, stir in the syrup. Pour that over the dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Scoop into 10 liners if making the muffins, or proceed with the skillet directions.
6. Remove the hot skillet from the oven and pour the batter in it. Place back in the oven to bake for 15-17 minutes. Just 15 minutes for the muffins. It should be a light golden color, firm top and the edges have pulled away from the pan slightly. Do not overbake or it can turn dry. Note:If you don’t want to bother with a skillet, then you can still make this in a regular 8×8 inch square pan, the cooking time should be similar. Make sure to spray the pan well with nonstick. The edges won’t get as crispy as the skillet, but it will still be good.
7. Let sit for 20 minutes before slicing, as it will firm up a lot while sitting. Slice and serve. It will still be wonderfully warm. Eat alone or top with a sweet syrup or whatever you like. I like it by itself (it’s that good!) and also with a little barbecue sauce. Store at room temperature in a sealed bag or container to keep them moist.

 

NOTES

To make these as muffins, follow this recipe.

 

NUTRITION

Serving: 1slice

Calories: 188kcal

Carbohydrates: 25.8g

Protein: 2.9g

Fat: 8.7g

Saturated Fat: 2.1g

Sodium: 105mg

Potassium: 206mg

Fiber: 4.7g

Sugar: 2.2g

Calcium: 82mg

Iron: 1mg